Salzburg Lungau Biosphere Reserve
Eventful Group Tours
“Please feel free to contact me, and I will create a customized offer for you.”
Sebastian Baier
Host and Managing Director
+43 6477 7155 51
s.baier@hotel-wastlwirt.at
Your Individual Offer
The Salzburg Lungau is the ideal excursion destination for your guests. For those eager to travel, scenic roads, alpine huts, mountain lakes, golf courses, castles, palaces, and churches, as well as customs and music in the tri-border region of Salzburg, Carinthia, and Styria, offer unforgettable experiences. Hotel & Restaurant Wastlwirt**** also provides culinary delights from the Lungau Smokehouse Kitchen, wellness enjoyment with a swimming pool, sauna, steam bath, and soothing wellness treatments. As a tour operator, you can organize a worry-free trip with minimal effort through our program service.
Benefits for Your Guests
- Family-run 4-star hotel with 125 beds in the heart of the Salzburg mountains
- Modern wellness area with indoor pool, sauna landscape, and relaxation rooms
- High-quality breakfast buffet with regional products and freshly prepared egg dishes from our Lungau Smokehouse Kitchen
- Delicious midday snack with soup, salads, cold cuts, and cake from 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Dinner with an experiential culinary journey from the traditional Lungau Smokehouse Kitchen, featuring appetizers, soups, salad and dessert buffets, and a choice of main courses
- Fast and uncomplicated check-in and check-out
Benefits for Tour Operators
- Complimentary places depending on the number of booked guests
- 10-30% discount depending on group size, length of stay, and season
- Drinks with dinner for your bus driver or tour guide
- Personal support and offer creation by hosts Sebastian & Rudi Baier
- Free parking directly at the hotel (also for buses)
Tasters Wanted
As a bus company or tour operator, you surely want to know if your guests will “enjoy” our hotel, the region, and our offerings. We invite you and a companion to our hotel and the UNESCO Biosphere Park Salzburg Lungau experience region for 3 days/2 nights as “tasters”. Experience the special atmosphere of our ****hotel with over 500 years of tradition, enjoy the friendly service of a family-run 100-bed hotel, and get to know the Lungau Biosphere as a nature, activity, and experience region.
Request your personal voucher for two people now via email or phone +43 6477 / 7155-0.
Activities & Excursion Destinations
Alpine Journey to Mountains & Lakes
Dreamlike panoramic roads, alpine huts, and mountain lakes—accessible by bus or cable car—offer unforgettable day trips in the surrounding area. Additionally, castles, palaces, and churches in the tri-border region of Salzburg, Carinthia, and Styria can be visited. The program can be rounded off with a Lungau round trip with host Rudi Baier (free tour guide service).
Hiking Trip in Alpine Summer
The UNESCO-certified Biosphere Park Salzburg Lungau is nestled between the Hohe Tauern and the Nockberge mountains. The pristine natural landscape offers a diverse range of hiking opportunities with well-marked trails. Look forward to untouched nature, fantastic summit panoramas, 58 crystal-clear mountain lakes, alpine pastures, and their 70 managed huts for a relaxing stop.
We are happy to create suggestions for hiking routes, individually tailored to the duration and difficulty level that suits your guests’ abilities. Upon request, we can also provide a trained hiking guide for an additional fee.
Cycling Tour in Salzburg Lungau
Hotel & Restaurant Wastlwirt**** in Lungau, located at an altitude of approximately 1000 meters, is your ideal base for extraordinary and romantic cycling tours. Diverse routes for leisure cyclists and mountain bikers, totaling over 560 km, lead exclusively through the UNESCO Biosphere Park Lungau.
- Leisurely bike tours, for example, along the Mur River (200 meters from the hotel) or sightseeing through many villages around Mitterberg
- Varied tours into the romantic side valleys of Lungau
- Sporty rides on one of 17 mountain bike tours of all difficulty levels to mountain lakes and alpine huts
A special tip: Let your guests “experience” Austria’s highest e-bike region, where they can effortlessly conquer mountain routes and reach alpine huts with the added “tailwind” of an e-bike, allowing both people and batteries to “recharge”.
Golf Safari with Guide
7 different golf courses around the Wastlwirt offer an impressively beautiful game, whether for private golf groups or club teams. Golf Guide Rudi Baier personally assists you and helps you design your individual entertainment program, even beyond golf.
- Expert advice and recommendations from golf guide and host Rudi Baier
- GC Lungau Golf unlimited – free golf on the 9-hole golf course and practice facilities
- Up to 25% green fee discount at the surrounding golf courses of the Wastlwirt
- 12% discount at the golf school for beginner, handicap, and advanced courses
- Entertainment program with golfer’s regulars’ table, wine cellar evening, alpine hut magic, early morning barefoot golf, late night wellness, cocktail & dinner evening, and much more.
Alpine Yoga at Special Power Spots
The healing power of mountain peaks and sparkling mountain lakes create the perfect conditions for relaxing body and mind. The Lungau mountains offer unique power spots for a special yoga experience.
Together with yoga instructor YogAlexi, we offer your guests the opportunity to find their harmony during their vacation with Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, Slow Flow, or an energetic alignment. Or perhaps a yoga workout? We are happy to put together your individual course program.
Ski Safari from Katschberg to Obertauern
Glittering slopes, captivating descents of all difficulty levels, experiences on and off the slopes, and a breathtaking alpine panorama await winter sports enthusiasts around the charming Hotel & Restaurant Wastlwirt****. The extensive network of slopes, with 300 kilometers in the four ski areas of Katschberg/Aineck, Speiereck/Großeck, Fanningberg, and Obertauern, is accessible directly from the hotel via a shuttle service and can be used with a single ski pass.
Customs & Culture
Its preserved landscape, as well as its customs and traditions, are unique and recognized as a World Heritage Site. Its appearance, with castles, palaces, and churches, and its culture, such as Prangstangen festivals and Samson parades, are particularly maintained by the local population during church holidays. An extensive program with round trips and visits to museums, castles, and palaces, and unforgettable experiences is personally designed and supervised by host Rudi Baier.
Prangstangen in Lungau
For the festival of 300,000 blossoms between June 24 (Zederhaus) and June 29 (Muhr), up to 8-meter-high Prangstangen are wrapped with flowers from Lungau alpine meadows and carried in processions to the churches of Muhr and Zederhaus. A custom whose legend dates back to a locust plague. Thousands of visitors participate in this Prangstangen festival every year. Of course, the Lungau giant “Samson”, as a symbol of strength, also dances on this occasion.
1. + Day 2
Wreath binding and Prangstangen wrapping at the farms or at the Maurergut heritage farm
Day 3
In the evening, bringing the Prangstangen into the village church accompanied by the civic band
Day 4 (Festival Day, May 24 or 29)
Morning: Festive church service and subsequent procession with the Prangstangen until noon. Afternoon: Samson parade in Muhr or alpine festival in Riedingtal Nature Park
Advent & Silent Night in Lungau
Excursions to the extremely popular Katschberg Advent Trail, attractive Advent markets like in St. Michael right on our doorstep, Wolfgangsee Advent, Salzburg Christmas Market combined with an atmospheric Advent program such as concerts, nativity plays, torchlight hikes, horse-drawn sleigh rides, and alpine hut magic with alphorn players round off the program with rich experiences.
Cradle of the song “Silent Night, Holy Night”
In Lungau, Joseph Mohr took up his first position as assistant priest and in 1816 wrote the poem “Silent Night! Holy Night!”, which later became the lyrics for the world-famous song. The Parish, Pilgrimage, and Silent Night Museum was dedicated to him, among others, at the Basilica of Mariapfarr.
Hotel Program
Welcome Drink
Welcome drink with host Sebastian Baier in the hotel lobby with initial information for guests (15 min, free)
Welcome Evening with Picture Presentation
Welcome evening with host Rudi Baier, including a welcome drink and picture presentation with detailed information about the hotel’s history and offerings, and information about the Salzburg Lungau region (45 min, free)
Sociable Wine Cellar Evening
Sociable wine cellar evening in the historic vaulted cellar (up to 15 people) with host Rudi Baier, glass-by-glass tasting of Wastlwirt wine specialties (optional, by reservation at reception, approx. 30 minutes, cost €9.00 per person), followed by drinks as desired, depending on consumption
Wine Tasting
Wine tasting in the historic vaulted cellar with host Rudi Baier: Get to know noble Austrian grape varieties, their regions of origin, and their harmony with food, including cheese appetizers (optional, by reservation at reception, 2 hours, up to 15 people, cost: €25.00 per person)
Festive Dinner
4-course festive dinner with house secco aperitif in the atmospheric ambiance of the Lungauer Stub’n (included in the gourmet half-board)
Late Night Wellness
Swimming and sauna in an evening atmosphere until 10:00 PM with a glass of sparkling wine and fresh fruit (free of charge)
Torchlight Hike with Stop (Winter)
Torchlight hike with a stop at the rustic Gasthaus Zur Glashütte
After dinner, there’s nothing better than stretching your legs. Host Rudi Baier leads guests on a romantic torchlight hike (2km, approx. 30 minutes, no incline) directly from the hotel, along the Mur River, to a stop at the rustic Gasthaus Zur Glashütte. After a refreshment (or several), the group returns to the hotel.
Ice Stock Sport in the Lunga Arena (Winter)
Joint Ice Stock Sport with Hosts Sebastian & Rudi Baier
Hosts Sebastian & Rudi Baier invite you to a fun game of ice stock sport at the Lungau Arena. The ice stock rink is only 500 meters from the hotel. Teams are formed over warming drinks, and the leading Moare (team captains) are chosen. Then the game begins, and guests shoot their way through a few ends to crown a winner at the end.
Half-Day Experiences
Horse-drawn Carriage Ride to Pritzhütte
Horse-drawn carriage ride in the Gontal nature paradise with hut magic
The delightful horse-drawn carriage ride into the Gontal valley starts at Katschberg Pass at 1,640 meters above sea level and leads along the forest path into the romantic and secluded Gontal basin (approx. 45 minutes). There, a stop at the rustic Pritzhütte awaits, before returning down the valley by carriage.
Prebersee with its Unique Water Target Shooting
Half-day trip to Prebersee with a visit to the shooting range for the unique water target shooting
Lake Prebersee is a moor lake located at an altitude of 1514 meters. It was named after Mount Preber (2740m), at whose foot it is beautifully nestled. The lake is known for its unique water target shooting, where shooters from all over the world have competed since 1834. In this globally unique competition, a bullet is supposed to ricochet off the water after being fired and only then hit its target. A moor nature trail has been set up around the lake, which is accessible all year round (35 minutes). It can be easily reached directly by bus. The Ludlalm, located directly on the lake, invites you to stop for refreshments.
Gondola Ride to High Altitudes
Gondola ride with the Sonnenbahn to Speiereck with a walk on the Sonnenhangweg and refreshment stop at Peterbauer Alm
Directly in St. Michael, the Sonnenbahn gondola ascends to Speiereck (mountain station at 1910 meters above sea level). There, both in summer and winter, awaits the 3-kilometer-long Sonnenhangweg with a maximum incline of 5%. Directly at the mountain station, there is also the option to stop for refreshments at the Peterbauer Alm.
Nostalgic Ride with the Steam Train “Taurachbahn” (mid-June to September)
Experience a ride on Austria’s highest narrow-gauge railway with the Taurachbahn and travel back in time on narrow tracks through Lungau. The volunteer association “Club 760” lovingly operates the steam train during a 40-minute journey from Mauterndorf to St. Andrä. There is a 1-hour break where you can stop for coffee and cake at the Gasthof Andlwirt before returning.
Golf Taster Session at Golfclub Lungau/Katschberg (Summer)
Together with the Graimann Golf School, guests can expect a golf demonstration and explanation of the fascinating sport of golf. Afterwards, they can try out their golf swing on the practice facilities, with rental clubs and balls included. Optionally, a stop at the club restaurant for refreshments is also available.
Guided Tour of the Ramingstein Silver Mine (may to October)
The silver mine in Ramingstein offers groups an adventure-packed experience. The guided tour leads through the “Altenbergrevier” and provides a good insight into the arduous work of the former miners, thanks to the tunnels that have remained almost unchanged since mining ceased around 200 years ago. The mine is reachable within a 15-minute walk, and the tour lasts approximately 2 hours. Good footwear and jackets (8°C!) are required; not suitable for persons with limited mobility.
Artist Town Gmünd
Visit to the artist town of Gmünd with a variety of museums and sightseeing opportunities
The artist town of Gmünd is only 30 kilometers from the hotel. It offers many museums such as the Porsche Museum, the Pankratium (House of Amazement), the Stadtturmgalerie (City Tower Gallery), the divided church, or various city tours.
Traditional Wool Yarn Spinning Mill
Guided tour of the Ferner wool yarn spinning mill in Tamsweg
The Ferner wool production was founded in 1906 and produces the finest hand and machine knitting yarns. In the modern winding and twisting mill, the team around Matthias Ferner produces yarns for the most renowned companies in Austria and exports to many European countries. Special attention is paid to raw materials from the region.
Brewery Tour in Austria's Highest-Located Brewery
Brewery tour with tasting at Austria’s highest-located brewery
The delicious Katschbeer is produced in Austria’s highest-located brewery (1,670m). A special brewing process allows the young brewer Christoph Hofmayer to produce up to 1000 liters per day. And he also successfully tries his hand at his own creations. Of course, the tasting is not neglected either.
Visit to a Schnapps Distillery
Visit to the Schiefer schnapps distillery in Mariapfarr with tasting
The Hans & Edith Schiefer family practices many crafts. A special feature is the schnapps from their distillery. During a tour, the schnapps distillation process is explained, and a tasting completes the experience.
In the Baking World of the Bestselling Author
Tour of the baking world of “Baking with Christina”
Christina Bauer is a successful blogger and bestselling author. Known throughout the German-speaking world, she delights all home cooks with her baking books and tips. She has realized her dream with her Baking World in Tamsweg. Take a look behind the scenes during an exciting tour of the company building and Christina’s kitchen. The team provides insights into operational processes and also reveals a baking secret or two. Directly in the Baking World, there is also a café for a break and a shop for all fans.
Full-day excursions
Lungau round Trip with Host Rudi Baier
Lungau Round Trip with host Rudi Baier as tour guide (free of charge) including a visit to the pilgrimage church of St. Leonhard and the pilgrimage church of Mariapfarr (cradle of the song Silent Night, Holy Night), a walk and hut stop at Prebersee (demonstration of water disc shooting), (approx. 4 hours).
optionally combinable:
– Visit to Moosham Castle
– Visit to Mauterndorf Castle
Bread Baking in Thomatal
incl. mill demonstration at the Zenzenmühle
Experience in Thomatal how aromatic homemade bread is made from original grain in one day. In the morning, you will visit the Zenzelmühle, where the flour is freshly ground, and you will make the bread dough with your own hands. At lunchtime, a stop at the Thomataler Wirt inn is possible. In the afternoon, the dough is put into the nostalgic bread oven, and while you indulge in the aromas of fresh bread, coffee and pastries baked that morning will be served.
optionally combinable:
– Bundschuh Blast Furnace – on the path of the iron smelters
– Valentium – Exhibition on the life of the Bishop of Lungau
Salzburg Old Town
Salzburg is the epitome of culture. It’s not for nothing that the city is called the City of Mozart. The Salzburg Festival is just one example. But Salzburg has more to offer than Mozart’s birthplace. City tours, Mirabell Palace, Hohensalzburg Fortress, boat trips on the Salzach, Salzburg Cathedral, or Getreidegasse are just a few examples.
The Nonntal Terminal (210km, 2.5 hours pure travel time there/back) or the terminal in Paris-Lodron-Straße must be used for passengers to get on and off when visiting Salzburg Old Town. In the online booking system for tour buses, each tour bus must book time slots in advance for the arrival and pick-up of guests at the terminals.
Motorsport Experience at the Red Bull Ring
Find out how Max Verstappen and Brad Binder feel when they stand on the top step of the winners’ podium. Discover where decisions are made that impact the course of Formula 1 and MotoGP races. A look behind the scenes of one of the world’s most modern racetracks will leave you wide-eyed and amazed. For everyone who has always wanted to visit the Red Bull Ring, the 90-minute Red Bull Ring Tour is an absolute must. The Red Bull Ring Tour takes you to places that normally remain hidden, such as Race Control, the Media Center, and the VIP lounges (215km, 3 hours pure travel time there/back).
Grossglockner High Alpine Road (Summer)
At 3798 meters above sea level, the Grossglockner is the roof of Austria. And through its area runs the most famous panoramic road in Austria. Up to the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe (2369m) to Austria’s highest mountain, the Grossglockner with the Pasterze Glacier, the largest still existing glacier in the Eastern Alps. Majestic mountain peaks, glaciers, green valleys, and forests – a sight that will leave your guests in awe!
The drive takes you via the Tauernautobahn A10 and the B311 to Bruck an der Glocknerstraße, from there the Grossglockner High Alpine Road leads for 48 kilometers to the picturesque village of Heiligenblut. Along the panoramic road, there are several viewpoints, exhibitions, and gastronomic offerings. Subsequently, you will drive via the B106 and then back onto the A10 Tauernautobahn to the hotel (approx. 280 km, 4 hours pure driving time).
Nockalm Panorama Road (Summer)
The Nockalm High Alpine Road is located not far from the hotel. Via the Bundschuhtal, it leads you past the Holy Family in the Stone Pine to the village of Innerkrems, where the 34-kilometer long panoramic road begins. Along the road, unforgettable views of the Carinthian mountains await you, a 3D cinema with information about the biosphere park and the region, and the highest point, the Eisentalhöhe (2,042m), from which many guests have already been able to observe marmots. At the end, the route takes you via the Turracher Höhe and Lake Turrach back to the hotel (115km, 2.5 hours pure driving time).
Optional additions:
– Bundschuh Blast Furnace Museum
Kölnbreinsperre Reservoir with Maltatal (Summer)
The Malta High Alpine Road is one of the most beautiful alpine roads in Carinthia and leads you high up to one of the most impressive structures in our country, the Kölnbreinsperre, located at 1902m. Austria’s highest dam with the beautiful Kölnbreinspeichersee is one of Carinthia’s most popular excursion destinations. Upon arriving at the destination, you will find the impressive Kölnbreinsperre, with the Airwalk viewing platform, the VERBUND Energiewelt Malta exhibitions, and the possibility of a guided tour (120km, 2 hours pure travel time there/back, buses from a size of 3.85m height and 13.50m length require registration and vehicle escort).
Optionally combinable:
– Artist Town Gmünd with many museums
Carinthian Lake Wörthersee with its Castle (Summer)
The picturesque Lake Wörthersee is not only known in Austria. The main point of interest is the town of Velden with the castle on Lake Wörthersee. A boat trip, which is possible to the other end in Klagenfurt (190km, 2 hours pure travel time there/back), is recommended. We recommend combining this trip either with Minimundus – the small city on Lake Wörthersee, where a variety of international sights can be admired on a scale of 1:25 (Klagenfurt boat station, 8 minutes walk, then direct pick-up by bus), or in combination with the Pyramidenkogel Observation Tower (bus drives to Reifnitz boat station for transfer).
Carinthian Lake Millstätter See with Boat Trip (Summer)
With a length of 12 kilometers and a width of 1.8 kilometers, Lake Millstatt is Carinthia’s 2nd largest bathing lake near Spittal an der Drau. At 141 m, it is the deepest and most water-rich lake in the country. (85km, 1.2 hours there/back). In Seeboden, you board one of the ships of the Millstätter See Shipping Company. We recommend combining this trip with one of the following attractions:
– Granatium in Radenthein
– Cheese Dairy in Radenthein
– Sommeregg Castle in Seeboden with the Torture Museum
– Artist Town Gmünd with many museums, such as the Porsche Museum
– Landskron Castle with bird of prey show
Styrian Murtal with Wood Museum (Summer)
Styria is not called the “Green Heart of Austria” for nothing. Beautiful natural landscapes enchant all visitors. A special gem of regionality and naturalness is the St. Ruprecht Wood Museum, which showcases the versatility of wood as a raw material. Afterwards, you can continue to the historic town of Murau for lunch and take a guided tour of the “Brewery of the Senses” with a show brewery and museum. (94km, 2 hours pure travel time there/back).
Would you also like an additional ride on the historic steam train Murtalbahn?